Associazione Culturale Beyond Borders Corato

Beyond Borders is a cultural association legally established in July 2014 in Puglia, Italy.
Aims:
Since the beginning, Beyond Borders pursued its defined objectives, such as:
- youth work;
- mobility of young people;
- promoting non-formal and intercultural learning;
- active citizenship;
- empowerment of youth;
- respect of Human Rights;
- promoting European culture;
- promoting social inclusion, solidarity;
Our main activities are highly linked to our objectives and they focus on youth and including them in active project development on different levels. Our work takes place in Puglia, but mainly in the two cities of Corato and Orta Nova.
Our core activities are divided into 3 pillars:
- Erasmus+ actions and international projects;
- local workshops;
- organizing Campaigns and Infodays aiming to promote our organization’s objectives;
Our activities are based on non-formal methodologies, increasing competence of young people, activating young people in society, stimulating creativity and growth of young people.
Ever since we have been growing, we are constantly adding and innovating our work, activities and project types, both on local and international level. Our main goal is facilitating youth mobility and, through this, promoting non-formal education and intercultural learning, Human Rights, active citizenship.
Our main target group are young people living in our local area between 16 and 35 years old. In our activities we are providing opportunities and we are acting towards the empowerment and broadening perspectives of young people who can enrich their community by bringing back personal and professional development. We are focusing on enhancing their level of key competences and skills, especially for those with fewer opportunities. An important part of our Target Groups are young people facing obstacles and having to deal with fewer opportunities, coming from remote areas which are constantly facing geographical, educational, cultural and social obstacles, who have low chances of employability.
In 2016 Beyond Borders joined officially both the No Hate Speech Movement of the Council of Europe and the Coordinating Group of the No Hate Speech Italy, becoming active for the defence and respect of Human Rights online and offline.
In the same year, we joined the Hate Fighters Network which is working internationally on the topics of the No Hate Speech and is officially recognized by Council of Europe. The Network is focused on contributing to the development of the capacities of youth workers and young people in the combat against hate speech through methodology of creative methods (photography, videography, graphics, dance, music, creative writing). Beyond Borders has implemented several activities on the No Hate topc, such as workshops and flash-mobs, spreading awareness among youth in the local area of Apulia.
Since 2018 our organization has been cooperating fully with the Non-profit volunteering organization "Pro Loco" of Orta Nova, which is part of the UNPLI, Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia.
We started cooperating with the Pro Loco since we found that our needs and objectives are matching and aiming towards the same direction. We are sharing the goals of improving the quality of life in own local area, promoting the cultural, environmental and historical heritage. This cooperation has created a bridge which is allowing youth work and European culture to meet with the local values they are promoting, such as traditions, customs, products, and social and cultural issues.
Between 2015 and 2018 we have been partner with the University of Bari Aldo Moro. The agreement has provided academical traineeships for students during their Bachelor degree. Specifically, during this period we have hosted around 15 students enrolled in the class of Intercultural Mediation.